Alan Ritchson doesn’t want to make a Reacher movie spinoff, but there’s one prequel book that would be perfect for a big screen adaptation. Following the controversy over Tom Cruise’s casting as Jack Reacher, Amazon made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself by casting Alan Ritchson.
Ritchson couldn’t be more perfect for the hulking drifter, carrying both the charisma and physique for the role. Ritchson has fronted three seasons so far, with Reacher becoming one of Prime’s biggest shows. The upcoming Reacher season 4 will adapt Gone Tomorrow, which sees the тιтle character investigating an apparent suicide case he feels some responsibility for.
Ritchson has become an in-demand actor outside the show, and among his forthcoming movies are The Man with the Bag, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Runner. With Reacher at the height of its popularity, and the show having earned a spinoff with the Maria Sten-fronted Neagley, it feels like a movie version is still worth attempting.
Alan Ritchson Is Wrong About Reacher’s Big Screen Potential
Ritchson won’t even give Reacher “One SH๏τ” at big screen success
Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher movies succeeded in bringing new fans to the property – even if Cruise was fundamentally wrong for the role. When asked about taking his version of Reacher to the theaters, Ritchson sounded reluctant while talking to Men’s Journal.
I can’t speak to movies. I enjoy the format that we’ve got so much, and it works so well where we do a book a season. I think eight episodes seem to be the perfect amount of time to break out a book.
Ritchson makes a great point since it’s tough to condense one of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels into a two-hour runtime. That said, Christopher McQuarrie did a great job doing just that with 2012’s Jack Reacher movie, proving it can be done. Ritchson would prefer to focus on the Reacher show, however.
I don’t know if I’d fight for films. I like being able to weave in what feels like two, three, or four films around Reacher throughout the year. I’m happy with the way things are.
It’s easy to see where Ritchson is coming from, but there’s no reason a Reacher movie couldn’t work. There are nearly 30 books in Childs’ series, and some would make for natural movie adaptations. For instance, 61 Hours is unlikely to be adapted by the show due to its snowy setting, which would be inherently cinematic for a movie version.
The Affair Would Be The Perfect Book For A Reacher Movie Prequel
Book 16 details how Reacher became a wandering nomad
A film would need to offer a different experience from the Reacher TV show, and an easy way to do that would be to adapt one of the prequel novels. Reacher season 1 adapted the first book, Killing Floor, which was set shortly after Ritchson’s hero had retired from the army.
The Affair dealt with Reacher’s final case in the army, looking into a string of murders that have possible political ties.
However, the series has yet to cover Reacher’s exact reasons for leaving the army, which is why The Affair would be the ideal novel for a movie. This dealt with Reacher’s final case in the army, looking into a string of murders that have possible political ties.
Naturally, the deeper Reacher digs, the uglier the case gets, and his unyielding commitment to doing what’s right jeopardizes his career. It’s a great thriller that lays the groundwork perfectly for Killing Floor, and features returning characters like Neagley and Reacher’s mentor, Colonel Garber.
|
Every Jack Reacher Novel Featuring General Garber |
Publication Year |
|---|---|
|
Die Trying |
1998 |
|
Tripwire |
1999 |
|
The Enemy |
2004 |
|
The Affair |
2011 |
|
Night School |
2016 |
If Ritchson is going to tackle any of the prequel stories, it would be wise to do it before he ages out of playing a younger Reacher. The prequel element would make it more of an event, promising something different from the show while adding new layers to it.
Jack Reacher Already Proved The Books Work On The Big Screen
The original Cruise movie holds up very well
The division over Tom Cruise’s casting will never fully go away, and admittedly, it’s a little tricky to go back to his movies after viewing Ritchson in the part. Regardless, the original Jack Reacher is a great thriller, helmed with taut precision by Cruise’s regular Mission: Impossible director, Christopher McQuarrie.
Alan Ritchson will return as Reacher in Neagley, though it’s unknown how many episodes he will appear in.
It has a great cast, the franchise’s best villain to date with Werner Herzog’s The Zec and expertly staged action. Admittedly, the PG-13 rating held back what clearly should have been an R-rated thriller, but that’s one of the few genuine flaws. McQuarrie’s adaptation of One SH๏τ also provided a roadmap for condensing Child’s work to feature length.
The film had to trim a lot from One SH๏τ, but there’s nothing the story misses either. The best adaptations capture the most memorable pᴀssages and the feel of their books, while shedding the elements that won’t work as well in live-action.
Maybe there could have been a great season of Reacher covering One SH๏τ in greater depth, but it works as a movie. Plus, some stories would benefit more from the cinematic treatment. Past Tense, for example, is a novel with a real slow build, and a film could тιԍнтen up the pace considerably.
A Movie Could Give Reacher A Whole New Fanbase
The Tom Cruise movies brought more eyes to Jack Reacher
Even fans of the Jack Reacher novels have to admit the Cruise movies only helped raise the profile of the character. It didn’t hurt to have one of the biggest movie stars on the planet fronting a movie called Jack Reacher, and the 2012 adaptation no doubt brought new readers to the series.
An Alan Ritchson-fronted Reacher movie could do the same. A film could introduce newcomers to the character and the world he inhabits, while encouraging them to check out the Reacher show afterwards. Meanwhile, fans of the show will get to see a new side to the character and come to understand why he went roaming America.
For as much as he loves the character, Alan Ritchson doesn’t want to get stranded playing muscley brutes forever.
It could be a major win for Ritchson’s film career too, as he’d be playing his most popular role in a big budget movie. It’s win-win on just about every level, though again, Ritchson’s reluctance is somewhat understandable. For as much as he loves the character, he doesn’t want to get stranded playing muscley brutes forever.
If Reacher season 4 proves to be another giant hit for Amazon, maybe a conversation about a movie spinoff will come together. Ritchson may have reservations now, but for both his career and the franchise itself, it feels like a risk worth taking.
Source: Men’s Journal
